I have repeatedly heard left-leaning publications decry the rise of populism or nationalism and extol the virtues of liberalism. Here is an example from an NPR book review of Jill Lepore’s “This America”:
“To fight mainstream populism and nationalism, Lepore argues, supporters of free, fair, and inclusive liberal government can’t just hold their noses and wait for voters to realize that of course democracy is better than autocracy, and of course immigrants shouldn’t be vilified and ostracized.”
Such statements seem to vilify populism and nationalism, implying that they are not democratic and will lead to autocracy. But I would argue that they rise precisely from democracy; it is the people who have voted nationalists into power in many countries. It may not be the democracy you envision, but it is democracy nonetheless.
I would instead argue that it is frequently liberals who lead us to autocracy. For instance, if liberals “…can’t just hold their noses and wait for voters…”, just what do they propose? Isn’t the alternative to “…wait[ing] for voters…” autocracy? Remember, too, that is is frequently liberal or socialist uprisings that lead to autocracy – usually in the name of the people. Hitler rose to power as the head of the German Workers Party, and eventually the Nazi party (National Socialists German Workers Party), on the premise of supporting the labor party and wealth redistribution (Berlin, Rheinmetall-Borsig Works — Speech of December 10, 1940). Yes, the Nazi party was nationalist; but it was also liberal at its roots.
This same NPR article also associates nationalism with anti-immigration sentiments (“…and of course immigrants shouldn’t be vilified and ostracized…”). But this position, too, is misleading. In fact, many countries have strict requirements for immigration, including the requirement that immigrants not be a drain on their social systems. Are all of these countries “nationalist”? Do they “vilify” immigrants, too?
I am disheartened by such attempts to mislead the public into believing that anything other than liberalism is un-democratic or anti-immigrant, and leads only to autocracy or dictatorships. History shows that liberalism (via socialism) is frequently a precursor to autocracy – even though it is often veiled in claims of democracy.